Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear
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In a dark cavern in the Underworld scarcely lit by a few burning candles, a beautiful young woman with olive skin and long brown curls was walking around a basin filled with a metallic silver liquid. She was dressed in a revealing and torn dress while a pendant that resembled a purple flower was hanging from her neck down to her revealing cleavage. She gently stroked the pendant as she let one finger ripple through the basin. It showed her many things and she knew what was going to happen. For this reason, she was not surprised when she heard a scream coming from a tunnel followed instantly by the sound of a small explosion.
A man dressed in a long black coat entered the cavern. He resembled a handsome young man with olive skin and short black hair, though his pitch black eyes revealed he was something far more evil. He was, after all, the Source of All Evil.
"I have found you at last, Seer." The Source said as flames appeared in his eyes, before they returned to a more human brown color.
"As I foresaw you would." The Seer replied calmly, even though she knew the Source wanted to kill her for disappointing him several weeks ago.
"And you decided to remain here anyway?" The Source asked as he raised his hand and summoned a metallic fire ball.
"If you truly wanted to kill me, you could have hunted me down weeks ago." The Seer said. "I suspect you are here for something else."
"And what would that be?" The Source asked sceptically.
"You spent the last couple of weeks reclaiming power in the Underworld, returning to your former status." The Seer said as she observed past events in her basin. "But there is still one threat out there that you are not yet willing to face, the Halliwells."
"They are not a threat to me, the Charmed Ones are long dead and the cousins are scattered." The Source replied as he clenched his fist and made the fire ball disappear in a puff of smoke.
"So why have you not yet killed them?" The Seer asked challenging. "Are you concerned your power is not yet great enough, or is there something inside stopping you?"
"What exactly are you suggesting?" The Source asked with a glare.
"Do not forget, I know your true nature and that of the body you have taken over." The Seer said. "Are you sure you are in complete control of it? Or is something stirring inside?"
"How dare you?!" The Source screamed angrily as he threw a fire ball at the Seer, which she easily avoided by moving her head slightly to the left. "This body is nothing but an empty vessel, nothing more!"
"Very well, I will take your word for it." The Seer said rather unimpressed and unconvincingly. "So what is it you are truly after?"
"Like you said, I am not certain I possess enough power for a direct confrontation yet." The Source said. "I seek something to destroy the Halliwells fast and most preferably painful."
"You no longer seemed trust in my dark magic last time we met." The Seer said. "What makes you think this time will be different? And how will this benefit me exactly?"
"You may think you know everything about me, but I know plenty about you as well." The Source explained. "I know what you truly desire more than anything."
A flicker of doubt appeared on the Seer's face and she clutched the pendant around her neck tightly. The Source smiled, amused that he had been able to catch the infamous Seer off guard for an instant, though she quickly recovered and assumed her usual persona.
"Give me something I can use to destroy the Halliwells and I will help you attain the thing you have been searching for all these centuries." The Source offered.
"Do not play me for a fool." The Seer replied angrily. "What I seek cannot be obtained easily, not even by you. You have nothing to offer me and you tried to kill me last time I helped you."
"Only because you failed me." The Source remarked with a faint smile.
"I will not help you again." The Seer said. "You are on your own."
Before the Source could react, the Seer started to disappear in streams of black smoke. The Source screamed angrily and threw a stream of fire at her, which passed through her already transparent form. The Seer smiled and winked at him before she disappeared completely. Furiously, the Source threw a fire ball at the metallic basin and caused it to explode into a million tiny fragments.
"Well, well, well." A chillingly amused voice sounded through the cavern. "Quite the temper."
"Who is there?" The Source asked as he looked around. "Show yourself."
Unknown to the Source of All Evil, an invisible astral figure appeared behind him and smiled amused. The figure was a tall and slender man dressed in black with chaotic white and grey hair, bright grey eyes and revolting yellowish teeth. He waved his hand over the Source and it glowed in a white light.
"So many enemies lurking in the shadows, always after your power." The figure spoke. "Who can you trust? How long will your reign last this time? It seems that even the most evil of us fear something."
In a sudden move, the Source spun around to grab the astral figure by the throat. However, he was unable to touch it and his hand moved through the astral spectre, which then disappeared.
"Barbas." The Source whispered in pure contempt. "Show yourself."
A fiendish laughed filled the cavern and a transparent form of the Demon of Fear appeared before the Source of All Evil.
"Why are you here?" The Source asked. "I thought you were still trapped in purgatory."
"You believe you are the only one who can crawl back into the land of the living?" Barbas asked. "You should know better than most that just like evil, you can never truly kill fear."
"What do you want?" The Source asked.
"Well, if you want to get straight to business, not all of us have pretty new bodies to return to." Barbas said as he breezed his hand through the Source's face, who stepped back with an uncomfortable look. "I overheard you're having a witch problem. I can help you with that."
"I don't want your help." The Source said resolutely.
"And why is that?" Barbas asked. "All these centuries and not once have we worked together. Why do you suppose that is?"
"Because you revolt me." The Source remarked.
"Maybe." Barbas said as he disappeared and reappeared behind the Source to whisper in his ear. "Or maybe it's because deep down, you know that true fear is the only thing stronger than pure evil."
"You're delusional." The Source said as he stepped away from the astral demon.
"Alright, alright." Barbas said as he turned around and started to walk away. "I have made you an offer, it is up to you to accept or refuse it. I am sure that the Halliwells will wait until you're powerful enough to face them directly."
'Wait." The Source said after a moment of hesitation. "What do you want?"
"Well, it's not so much what I want as what I need." Barbas said as he appeared before the Source. "As you can see, I am rather indisposed at the moment in the body department. I can project myself here and sure I can read some fears, but in order to go after the witches, I will require a slight power boost."
"You think I will grant you my power?" The Source asked. "You truly are mad."
"Only a sliver, enough to take physical shape and reclaim my own power." Barbas said as he moved closer to the Source, until their faces nearly touched. "Let me in, you will barely feel a thing."
"Fine, as long as you take down the Halliwells." The Source said revolted. "Just be quick about it."
The Demon of Fear laughed as he rose in the air slightly and dissolved in a smoke-like figure that entered the Source's body. The Source groaned in pain as he fell to his knee and his body glowed in a white light for a moment. A stream of smoke then emerged from his nostrils and rose into the air, taking the shape of a restored Barbas in his physical form.
"You had better not betray me." The Source said coughing.
Barbas merely smirked before disappearing from the cavern in a puff of smoke. The Source rose to his feet and felt a little weak after his magical power had been drained by the vile demon. After what he had just been through, the Demon of Fear had better keep his word, otherwise nothing in this plane or any other would stop him from ensuring he would suffer for all eternity. The Source's eyes flames for a short moment as they turned pitch black. He then disappeared from the cavern in intense flames.
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On a rainy Friday night, Wyatt Halliwell returned home to the manor after a short photo-shoot for a small magazine. Without turning on the lights, the tall blonde took off his coat and carefully carried his bag with expensive equipment into the conservatory. He stopped when he suddenly heard noises coming from the living room. He knew Chris was working a late shift at the hospital. Perhaps Henry was home, but then why weren't the lights on? He slowly walked across the hall when he suddenly heard a loud scream.
Wyatt charged into the living room ready to fight off whatever evil had attacked, though he was surprised by a loud laughter instead. He turned on the lights and saw his younger cousins Henry Jr. and Payton lying on the couch in front of the TV watching some cheesy horror flick. They looked up in surprise when the lights turned on.
"Hey, I wasn't expecting you until later." Henry said as he paused the film.
"I finished early, I thought you guys were heading to some party?" Wyatt asked.
"Yeah, that was a total bust." Henry remarked.
"Basically, the mom of the guy who was throwing the party had found his alcohol stash right before the party started, so the entire thing was cancelled." Payton explained.
"Wait, alcohol, you guys are underaged." Wyatt called out. "You shouldn't be drinking."
"Oh please, like you've never done that while you were a teenager." Henry remarked and he turned the film back on.
"I am serious." Wyatt said as he stepped in front of the TV. "Yeah sure, I have done stupid things when I was a kid as well, but I had my parents to look after me. Payton, your parents are on a book tour for months and Henry, your parents left me and Chris in charge of you. You guys should act a little more responsible."
"Seriously?" Henry asked as he paused the film again. "Why are you being so difficult?"
"Because I am supposed to be responsible for you." Wyatt said.
"Wyatt, come on. It was one party and we didn't even get to drink." Payton said. "And even if we did, we're responsible enough to make that decision ourselves. We're practically adults."
"But you're not." Wyatt said. "I mean, out of all the stupid high school kids out there, you should be the ones who are extra careful."
"Why? Because we're witches?" Payton asked.
"Yeah exactly." Wyatt replied. "Trust me, I know what I am talking about. A demon once nearly killed all my friends when I snuck out to a party in high school."
"When? We never heard about that." Payton said confused.
Wyatt realized he should not have just said that, as the events surrounding that night had been kept a secret from his siblings and cousins for a long time. His mother and aunts had decided it was for the best, as it was one of the darkest and most troubling things Wyatt had ever been through, and the truth was not easy to accept.
"It's not really important." Wyatt said, desperate to change the subject. "So what are you guys watching?"
"Horror movie classic, it's pretty old to the special effects suck." Henry replied. "It just started if you want to join us."
"No thanks, I think I am heading to bed." Wyatt said. "Payton, are you staying over?"
"I think so, I'll text my sisters and let them know." Payton said.
"Okay, have fun with your movie." Wyatt said.
As Wyatt walked up the stairs, he heard his younger cousins laughing at the film. Luckily, they were distracted and had not asked too many questions about the thing he let slip. He promised his mother never to talk about it, and he did not want to remember it either. It was the reason he was no longer the Twice-Blessed and did not even possess half the magical power he used to.
Luckily, his siblings and cousins were away when it happened and most of them were too young to realize what had changed. Only Chris had been suspicious, though his parents had managed to get his mind off it. However, with the things that had happened the last few weeks, Chris had started to become suspicious again. His younger brother knew that something had happened then. He especially could not find out the truth, as it could ruin everything. Wyatt set his mind to other things and headed upstairs to get some sleep.
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About halfway through the film, Payton started getting a little cold, so she got up and grabbed a blanket from the closet under the stairs. Even though she would never admit it, she actually thought it was pretty scary. It was stupid, she had faced evil demons, yet she was afraid of a fictional serial killer. She wrapped the blanket around her and walked back to the couch, though when she got there, the film was paused and Henry was gone.
"Henry?" Payton whispered.
"Yeah?" A voice suddenly said behind her causing her to shriek.
Payton spun around and saw Henry standing behind her with a bowl of popcorn, trying to hold in his laugh at her reaction.
"Don't tell me you're actually scared?" Henry remarked.
"Of course not, just a little jumpy and tired." Payton replied annoyed as she softly pushed him.
"So what was up with Wyatt, becoming all parental all of the sudden?" Henry asked as they sat back down on the couch.
"I don't know." Payton said. "I think it has something to do with being the oldest. He always had to be the responsible one. Maybe after what happened to aunt Piper and our mothers leaving, he just wants to protect the family."
"I guess." Henry replied. "Let's finish the movie. I think the killer is about to attack at prom. I mean, talk about a cliché."
"Then why are we watching it?" Payton asked. "You're the film expert, why didn't you pick a better one?"
"Because this one is really bloody." Henry said with a shrug. "Besides, it's a classic. Cinderhella is one of the rare female serial killer franchises."
"Yeah, great female role model." Payton whispered in an annoyed tone as Henry started the film again.
As they continued the film, Payton repeatedly buried her face in her blanket while blood spattered across the screen, while all Henry did was laugh and criticize the bad special effects. Eventually, Payton just stopped paying attention to the film and realized she was actually becoming pretty tired. After a little while, her eyes fell closed and she dozed off to sleep.
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Unknown to the unsuspecting witches, the Demon of Fear appeared in the hallway of the manor in a cloud of smoke. Barbas looked around and senses the presence of three witches in the house. He could already taste their delicious fears, though one of them was especially scared at the moment. He followed the scent of the fear and was led to the living room, where the screen of the TV cast a blue light into the room. Two of the youngest Halliwell witches were lying on the couch and both had fallen asleep. They looked so sweet and peaceful, like innocent little children. Barbas could not wait to bring their worst fears to life.
Barbas walked around the couch with a hand raised, which glowed in a white light as he held them over the sleeping witches. The boy was having a dream that could be expected of a dirty teenaged mind, while the girl was having a troubling nightmare and was stirring in her sleep. Barbas stopped and observed her nightmare more closely. Something about a serial killer attacking a high school prom. It was rather amusing, though a little predictable for his taste. However, he possessed the power to change all of that with a simple wave of his hand.
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Payton had always known prom would be the most beautiful night of her life. As she entered the high school gym, which was decorated in a classical movies theme, she looked down and found herself in the most beautiful light blue dress she had ever seen.
"Payton, there you are." A charming voice sounded.
Payton looked up and saw the most handsome boy in school walking toward her. He had blonde hair and blue eyes like the sea. He looked amazing in his tuxedo and held a beautiful white corsage. Payton smiled and walked toward him. He kissed her hand and wanted to place the corsage around her wrist, but stopped as he suddenly made a gurgling sound.
Payton looked up and saw blood dripping from his mouth as he reached for his throat. There was a red line around his neck and a strange figure standing behind him. Suddenly the stranger grabbed his head and ripped it off, causing blood to spray from his neck. Payton was shocked as her dress was covered in blood and she looked up to saw Cinderhella standing before her, holding a bloody knife in one hand and the head of her date in the other. She screamed.
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With a gasp, Payton awoke from her nightmare and sat up. It had all seemed so real, she could practically feel the blood on her and she checked to make sure it wasn't there. She looked beside her but Henry was gone. She stood up and walked to the hallway when she suddenly felt a chill. When she looked around, she noticed the front door was wide open. From the corner of her eye, she saw something move behind her and turned around. She screamed as Cinderhella charged at her with her bloody knife raised in the air.
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